


Paralysis

by TheNinth



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-24
Updated: 2010-09-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 04:01:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNinth/pseuds/TheNinth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt Nine/Rose paralysis for the theme Intimacy Without Sex. (This doesn't have to be between lovers. It can mean intimacy between teammates, friends, or family. Just two (or more) people having an intimate, emotional moment together without physical, sexual intimacy.)</p><p><span><a href="http://juliet316.dreamwidth.org/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://juliet316.dreamwidth.org/"><b>juliet316</b></a></span> requested this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paralysis

"Rose, that's not..." He'd started to warn her, but as usual Rose was five steps ahead and willfully ignoring him.

 _Too late_ , he thought as he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. _Just a second too late_. She had touched the petals of the flower and the fast-acting neurotoxin was in her system.

"Lie down," he said. "Get comfortable while you still can. It'll wear off soon enough, but you don't want to be standing when it does."

"Doctor?" Rose was barely able to form the words. With his help she sat down in the grass and then eased herself onto her side. "Hurts."

"Leave it to you to have your tongue be the last thing paralyzed," he teased as he draped his jacket over her and sat down. He tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear and pressed his fingers against her neck. "Steady pulse. Breathing's normal. You'll be fine, Rose." His voice was low and warm and confident. Comforting.

Tears leaked from eyes that couldn't blink. The Doctor wiped the tears away with his thumb and gently closed her eyes. "I'd tell you to just lie still, but you've got no choice. Those flowers defend themselves with a neurotoxin that causes paralysis. If you were a bird or a small animal it'd be lethal. In your case, it's just going to be really uncomfortable pins-and-needles in about twenty minutes."

A still and silent Rose was unnerving. He touched her neck again to reassure himself that she was okay.

The Doctor stretched out on the grass and slipped his hand under Rose's head, cupping her cheek. Like this, he could feel her heart beating and the soft puffs of breath against his wrist. He'd know in an instant if anything changed.

 _A second too late_ , he thought again, guilt knotting something inside his chest.


End file.
